This prologue absolutely sucks, so I apologize for that.

I wrote this at 4 AM and my brain was not functioning properly, so I do apologize for that. The actual first chapter is much better than this one, so please give this story a chance. I worked really hard on it and it's a very sweet plot. :)

So, for the people who read Saving Roses, I know I haven't updated. First, I've been increasingly busy these past few weeks and I apologize. Also, I was very unmotivated to update because I only got one review on my last chapter and that was incredibly discouraging. Please leave a review even if you're saying how much you hate the story,it all helps me become a better writer and I would appreciate it if you would do that for me.

Back to this story, basically it's about Kendall be a teenage father and just wanting someone to love him and his son unconditionally. Like a said, this chapter absolutely sucks, so please stick with me. It will get better in chapters to come, I swear. :)

Love,

Emerson.

[January 18, 2010]

Kendall was barely breathing.

He wasn't dying, he was nervous. Nervous that in a little less than twenty four hours he would become a parent to a child he was not ready for.

Kendall Schmidt was only sixteen and his ex-girlfriend/ soon to be mother of his child, Alayah was sixteen as well. It was a drunken night at a party nine months ago that had gotten them into this mess, their previously four month relationship being up and down through the entire pregnancy. As he helped her through the busy halls of the dimly lit hospital, he thought back to that night.

Something inside of him regretted dragging Alayah to the end of the year party in the first place. Alayah had went only to make sure her boyfriend didn't get drunk and do something stupid, when in fact they both ended up drinking to the point of no return and ultimately, waking up next to each other in an unfamiliar bed completely stripped of all clothing and memory of what had happened the night before. Alayah stormed out on Kendall after realizing what the two had done and refused to talk to him, making sure to give Kendall the dirtiest of looks when seeing him around the small town of Sherwood, Minnesota all summer.

After five weeks, Alayah showed up at Kendall's home, her face soaked in tears and her light skinned cheeks blotchy and bright red. Without her saying anything, Kendall knew. Something inside him sent waves to his brain tell him that she was in fact pregnant with his child and he was okay with that.

Alayah had expected Kendall to slam the door on her after she told him she was pregnant, but he didn't. Instead he wrapped her tightly in his arms and whispered sweet nothings into her ear, proving to her that he would be there for her no matter what. She didn't want her child to grow up without a father and it lifted a weight off her shoulders knowing that it wouldn't have to.

Neither of their parents were happy, but Kendall's parents were incredibly supportive while Alayah's completely opposed the decision of the two of them raising a baby while still in high school. It resulted in her parents getting a divorce, her Caucasian mother blaming the pregnancy on Alayah being insecure for being half white and half black.

As the months rolled on, Alayah became increasingly more difficult. Every day it was a new concern, how would she lose the baby weight after their child was born, how would the child deal with being ¼ black and ¾ white, how would her classmates receive her now that she was pregnant. She was always finding new ridiculous reasons to be mad at Kendall and at the seven month mark; he realized he couldn't take it anymore. He promised her that he'd be there for their son, but he couldn't be linked to her romantically anymore. He was only fifteen and dealing with schoolwork was a challenge on its own, having to deal with a moody pregnant girlfriend on top of that was overwhelming.

The last two months of her pregnancy he had been there for her in every way possible, dropping by her house in the middle of the night when she had a craving, delivering her school work to her when she was too tired or sick to attend herself, and even giving her hour long back rubs when she needed it. They decided to wait until Kendall's birthday on November 2nd to find out the sex of the baby which was the best present anyone could ever give him. He was having a baby boy and all he could feel was joy that day. With every beat of his heart, he felt love and happiness pump through his veins, realizing he would do anything to make sure his son would be completely healthy and if that meant doing everything Alayah said, he would do it.

Now, here he was, helping Alayah up onto a hospital bed and even going so far as to pull back her long, lowlighted brown hair for her, his shaking hands being careful not to pull too hard as he did so. His heart was beating out of his chest, contemplating whether his son would look more like him or his mother, either way he knew he'd be handsome and just the thought made him smile.

"Are you laughing at me Kendall?"Alayah shot her brown eyes up to Kendall's chuckling face, squinting angrily at him. Now was not the time for him to be laughing.

Kendall snapped out of his daydream and stammered a bit. "Of course not, I was just thinking about what he's going to look like."Kendall's voice faded out as his emerald orbs trailed to Alayah's ballooned stomach, resting a rough hand on her belly.

Alayah grabbed Kendall's wrist and pulled it off of her body, not appreciating the touching. She rolled her eyes at Kendall's sad expression, she didn't mean to be cold, all she wanted was this baby to be out of her, her unborn son had caused her too much stress over the past few months.

The rest of the night had gone on like this, petty arguments being spat between the two as the doctor came in periodically to check on Alayah along with the arrival of Kendall's parents, Kent and Kathy.

"Have you called my parents?"Alayah asked Kendall, shifting in the uncomfortable hospital bed.

"I've called them six times and texted them both. I don't think they're coming, A."He laced his fingers through hers trying his best to be supportive. Alayah just pulled her fingers away and stared out the window, wondering why her parents refused to be there for her.

After nine gruesome hours and an amazing view of the sunrise, Alayah was dilated the full ten centimeters and was ready to push. Kendall took pictures and videos despite Alayah's protests and had to keep himself from almost fainting multiple times. He made sure to get shots of his crying mother and his elated father, while keeping his own eyes locked on the small head beginning to crown. A few more pushes and he was out, nurses and doctors rushing to get him cut from his mother, cleaned and wrapped up. It all seemed to happen so fast and while he carried a permanent grin, Alayah laid in the bed sweaty and blank. The excited conversation between Kendall and his parents flew over her head as emotions began to pump through her. She began to realize that she wasn't ready to be a mother; she would never truly be ready. Prior to this she was more than sure that she never wanted to have children. That's when she made her decision final.

A half hour later, the doctor returned with their son, setting him in Kendall's arms first when he realized that Alayah had fallen asleep in the time he was away. Kent and Kathy had left to prepare for work but not before they wished their son luck with his new child.

Kendall was smitten from the get go, his son's skin was slightly lighter than his mother's making him appear to be a tad bit sun kissed and his eyes mimicked his father's perfectly, bright emerald green with flecks of gold throughout. His nose was more like his mother's, small tiny and cute, and under the hospital issued beanie, Kendall spotted platinum blonde hairs peaking out, resembling Kendall's when he was first born. He was almost certain it would fade out to dirty blonde as he grew older and he was more than excited to show his son the different ways he could cut and style his hair.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?'The male doctor they were stuck with asked him. Kendall could barely pull his eyes away from his son's now sleeping form.

"Yeah, he really is."Kendall replied, dragging a calloused finger down the side of his soft face.

"Do you have a name? We've got to get it on the birth certificate as soon as possible."The doctor chimed in, causing Kendall to shoot a look at Alayah sleeping. The name was the one thing they hadn't talked about, because Alayah had never wanted to. So Kendall took the liberty to name him himself, having no regrets when the two names rolled off his tongue.

"Jace Sterling."He gently rocked his son as the doctor nodded and slipped out from the room, laying sweet kisses on his son's forehead.

That was the first day of the rest of Kendall's new life.

Alayah had ultimately decided that Jace would stay at Kendall's house despite their previous talks of letting him primarily stay at Alayah's. Kendall was ecstatic when realizing that Alayah had changed her mind, this only meant he would be able to spend more time with him even if that did mean sleepless nights.

Alayah ended up missing out because Jace was an absolutely amazing baby. He woke up so few times in the night that Kendall would end up waking himself up just to make sure that his son was still breathing. He wondered if he was overfeeding him, but his mother assured him that that was just how Jace was and Kendall should be grateful. So, he was.

Three weeks after Jace had been born, Kendall's world had shattered. After school, he showed up to a note posted on his front door addressed from Alayah. It was long and filled with bullshit things he knew she didn't mean but the last paragraph was what had gotten him.

'I'm sorry Kendall, but I can't take it anymore. I can't focus on school because everyone is calling me derogatory names whenever I walk by, I barely get any sleep at night because my mom is always yelling at my father through the phone, and I feel so alone right now. With saying that, my mother and I have decided to move out of Minnesota. We both think that it would be good for me to get a fresh start and you have made it more than clear that you can raise Jace on your own. I know you will be an amazing father Kendall.

Love,

A.'

He had ran inside and ignored his mother's inquisitive questions, heading straight for his son's room. He grabbed the tiny form from his crib and pressed him against his chest gently, before beginning to sob violently at the fact that his son was going to have to grow up without a mother. How could she bail on him like that? How could she not love her own son? Not once in the letter had she mentioned anything about caring about Jace's well being. How could she be so heartless?

He sobbed for three hours straight and after that his son finally woke up and began to cry as well, but for different reasons than Kendall. He changed him and set him back in his crib, running a hand up and down the cotton onesie he was wearing.

"Who's going to love us, Jace?"